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I noticed an ad here on YWN recently by a shul seeking candidates for their chazzan. The advertisement said nothing about the candidates’ yiddeshkeit, musical skills, lamdus, etc but did clearly say that all candidates “must be married”. I always thought that being married was preferable other factors being equal, but a chazzan who was known to be a yireh shamayim and talmid chacham or had a beautiful voice for davening was preferable over those candidates who who were not so highly regarded but were married.
Since it is very much possible to find a married yirei shamayim who can be chazzan, there’s rarely a need to go the b’dievedika route of taking someone who never married.
I am not sure what ad you are referring to. Was it a full time position or for the yomim noraim? While it is preferable for the Yomim Noraim it is not required. However, the shul can be makpid on only having a married person apply. I would think they will interview those applying for the position and ask about the other areas that you mentioned.
It is brought down that, for the Yomim Noraim, the Shliach Tzibur should be married. It is not an absolute requirement, but highly preferable.
For the rest of the year, there is no such restriction.
The Wolf
“For the rest of the year, there is no such restriction.”
For a professional, paid chazzan the rules apply year round (married isn’t the only one). For a casual Chazzan, it doesn’t apply. No matter, I have a sneaking suspicion that this thread was not made to discuss the halachah of chazzanim, but rather an opportunity to get on the soap box about a personal pet peeve.
Wolf: While halachlically there is no restriction, the individual tzibbur may have a reason why they are requesting only married men apply. They have every right to make that a requirement for the position.
A shul should pick someone who can motivate the people. Given the most frum people nowadays have absolutely no appreciation for the value, importance, and application of the aesthetic in our religious lives, why should it matter if the person can sing, understand the way the music is supposed to convey the emotion of the words, or anything like that.
It is by far more important that the person who will lead the davening suffer and cry through the screaming of the words be married. That’s where we’re holding now.
I hope that the Maharil isn’t reading this blog.
I am a single person & I daven Yomim Noraim with much more gifeelechtz then many married people do
Honda, you also have some ego.
GH: There is no logical nexus except that the Shulchan Aruch mentions (quoting the Kol Bo) that for the Yomim Noraim it is preferable. (581:1 and Mishna Berurah sif koton Yud Gimmel)
https://mishnaberurayomi.org/pdf_pages/Chelek_6/1580_Siman_581_Seif_1c-2a.pdf
And yes, all things being equal one should choose a talmud chachom who is not married. But to this kehilla having someone married is important to them.
You find many more married talmidei chachamim than unmarried talmidei chachamim. So it is rare to ever need to resort to a single chazzan.
GH: It may be a psak of a former Rav of that shul (or town). We don’t know the shul so stating “so no reason to exclude them other then the preferences of the particular shul” is very unfair.
“However, there are many fine young chazzonim who have not yet met their besschert so no reason to exclude them”
Sure there’s reason to exclude the. We have Halachas. And the Halachas tell us to exclude them.
It is by far more important that the person who will lead the davening
suffer and cry through the screaming of the words be married.You might want to rewrite that.
And the Halachas tell us to exclude them.
Where does halacha say to exclude a shliach tzibbur who is unmarried? Even for the Yomim Noraim, it’s only a preference, not an absolute requirement.
The Wolf
“It is by far more important that the person who will lead the davening suffer and cry through the screaming of the words be married. Thatโs where weโre holding now.
I hope that the Maharil isnโt reading this blog.”Why do we get this garbage through? The CR should preserve some integrity.
GH: Or the opposite. Being single, he may have to travel for shidduch purposes leaving less time to devote to the shul. IMHO, you are reading to much into this. They state clearly the person must be married. Unless you personally are an unmarried chazan why is it bothering you? In addition, where does it say that the chazzan would also be the baal koreh? Maybe the shul already has one and he already deals with the bar mitzvah bochurim. I commend the shul for being up front in the ad by stating the marriage requirement.
How about a halachicly divorced chazzan?
GH,
“I would agree with you entirely that logically, there is no logical nexus between a yid being married and having the requisite attributes for being a chazzan”
Yes there is a sense of logic mentioned, differentiating between one with children and one with not – the Mishna in Horayos ch 1:4 nullifies ืืงื ืฉืื ืจืืื ืืื ืื for Sanhedrin, Rashi asks:
? ืื ืืงื ืฉืืื ืจืืื ืืื ืื. ืืงืฉืื ืื ืืคื ื ืื ืืื ืจืืื ืืืืจืื
However, the Rambam in Pirush explains a fascinating pshat:“ืืืงื ืฉืื ืจืื ืื ืื ืืื ื ืืฉืจ ืืืื ื ื ืคืฉืืช – ืืคื ืฉืืื ืืืืจื ืืื ืืจืื ืขื ืื ื ืืื – ืืคื ืฉืืื ื ืืืืข ืืืืช ืืื ืื ืืื ื ืฆืจืืืื ืืืกืืืช ืืืื ืขื ืืืืจืื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืื ืื ืขืืช ืืฉืจืื ืืฉืื
I recall the same logic has been applied to a Chazan on Yamim Noraim, as a leKatchilah…
I actually called the number yesterday and asked the question. The person responded with a number of reasons. First, they have only had married chazonim in the past and don’t want to change. Two, most of the members are married couples with families and they expect the chazan to be part of the “social fabric” which would include having other couples over for various seudos. They feel this is not entirely in the realm for someone who is single. Three, they recently had someone who is divorced in a position of authority and it didn’t work out well, and they are leery of having a repeat of the situation by having someone who is not married.
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